


Cathodic Protection

by feverbeats



Series: Bioengineering [5]
Category: Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-03
Updated: 2011-09-03
Packaged: 2017-10-23 09:15:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/248675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feverbeats/pseuds/feverbeats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three problems.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cathodic Protection

**Author's Note:**

> Some ideas that were missing from [Capacitive Crosstalk](http://archiveofourown.org/works/248390). Thanks to [bluestalking](http://archiveofourown.org/users/bluestalking) for pointing it out. ♥

"So," Tony says, spreading his hands, "here's what they know about us. We're a group of LGBT superheroes. That's all the press knows right now, and for obvious reasons, some of us want to keep it that way. No one assumes you're the  _T_." He wrinkles his nose and looks at them.

Namor stands up, as he always does to talk. "For my part, I make no secret of my birth."

Jessica nods. "Yeah, easy for you to say. You're from  _Atlantis_ , for God's sake. As far as everyone still in my life is concerned, I'm a woman. And as far as most of them know, they have no reason to call me anything else." She crosses her arms and sets her jaw.

"I can sympathize with both sides," Tony tells them. "I mean, I got outed pretty badly years ago, so it's not like I'm stealth with the majority of people, but it's not like I'm a huge fan of having my personal life everywhere, either. Marie?"

Marie unwinds herself from her cross-legged huddle, but she doesn't look up from her hands. "It's different with me, though. Y'all are . . . transitioned and everything. I haven't even started."

"For what it's worth," Tony says, "if you told a person off the street you were a girl, I don't think they'd disagree. I mean that."

Marie smiles and picks at the back of her glove. "Well. Thanks."

Tony nods. "But we agree it's a problem." And one he hadn't thought through all the way. He was mostly thinking how great it would be to have people on his side, on his side in  _every_  way, but he hadn't considered how complicated it would be. Especially for people who didn't grow up all over the tabloids.

"I think having allies in a team is good," Jessica says, "but I like having to explain  _why_  we're allies, at least to the public. We're not all you, Tony. Imagine being Marie, if you can."

Tony walked in on Marie crying on Jessica's shoulder the other day, and Jessica's been somewhat cool to him after since.

"Yeah," he says, "that's fair." He had it pretty easy, as things go.

"So we keep up the vague banner of LGBT for now," Jessica says firmly. "Until we find out feet, at least. Then we can discuss other solutions."

Marie nods gratefully to her.

*

"Not a chance in hell, bub. Sorry, but the last thing I want is to have my name all over Trans Superheroes Inc. And when I say _sorry_ , I don't mean sorry."

Tony sighs. He's following up on Marie's  _I think maybe Logan is_ , and now he's sorry for it. "It was just an offer." In his head, he's just going,  _Another short guy, another short guy, he's shorter than me, Namor is so_ tall _, this is great_  like a twelve-year-old.

Logan kicks over the bar stool Tony was considering inhabiting. "Well, you can take your offer and shove it up whatever you've got, sweet pea. Just 'cause I ain't got a dick doesn't mean I want in on the party."

Tony sighs. "Okay. I just thought . . . You know, Marie joined."

Logan frowns. "Who?"

Oh, right. The Marie thing is . . . new. "Never mind," he says quickly.

"Ya mean Rogue?" Logan raises his eyebrows. "I heard about that. He--She called me from a payphone on the way to California. She's a really good kid." He considers for a second. "If you hurt her, or if you let her get hurt, I'll murder you."

"So," Tony sighs, "that's definitely a no."

*

The first time they fight Loki, he  _laughs_  at him.

"You have a secret, you four," he says. His voice wavers a little, but not like he's unsure. More like he's not quite sane.

"Uh huh," Tony says, shooting an energy blast at him, "it's about how we're gonna kick your ass." It's a terrible comeback, but this fight has been exhausting. They're back on the docks, where Loki's been collecting people's eyes for no discernible reason.

Loki dances out of the way of the blast. "I've been reading about you, Tony Stark. Quite enterprising. A self-made man." He chuckles.

Jessica catches Loki off-guard with a blow to the side of the head, and he whirls to attack her with his staff.

"Jessica Drew, Spider-Woman," he says. "Raised rich enough to afford her hormones, if daddy hadn't kicked her out."

Jessica shouts and redoubles the ferocity of her attack.

"Namor the Sub-Mariner," Loki calls out, shooting a great, green jet of magic toward him. "Born the daughter to a human sea captain and a princess. How far you've come, mutant." The insults sound hollow, like he doesn't mean them but he wants them to sting.

Namor narrows his eyes and says nothing. Instead, he leaps toward Loki and tries to sweep his feet out from under him.

Loki dodges backwards and runs into Marie. Her gloves are off.

"What about me?" she says. "Do you know all about me?" Her hand tightens on Loki's exposed wrist.

Loki gasps and goes rigid, but then he starts to laugh. "Mutant," he says. "Yes, I've heard of you. Rogue, you call yourself, because you don't know what else to say." He shudders.

Marie lets go, and Tony thinks it's less a reaction to the words and more horror at sucking away little pieces of Loki's life. She gives him a gentle shove and he falls to his hands and knees.

"So, you're under arrest," Tony says. "In case there was any question about that."

Loki sits back, recovering, and shrugs. "I don't understand it." He flickers briefly into a raven-haired woman, then back. "Gender is so arbitrary. But perhaps not in your world."

"Not in yours, either, from what I hear," Namor says sharply. "I have spoken with your brother."

Loki's face darkens. " _Thor_. What does he know? He doesn't pay enough attention to see what's right in front of his face."

Tony would rather everyone were as oblivious as Thor apparently is. That would avoid situations like that. "Let's take you in," he says, grabbing Loki's arm and hauling him upright.

Marie slides her glove back on and bumps shoulders with Jessica. "Did I do all right?"

"You did great," Jessica says fiercely, glaring at Loki.

Tony takes a deep breath to steady himself. "Yeah, we all did. Good job, team. We got this one."


End file.
